Stereodynamic control of nonadiabatic processes in low-energy Be+(2P) + H2 (v = 0, j = 2) collisions.

Controlling the relative arrangement of colliding molecules is crucial for determining the dynamical outcomes of chemical processes and has emerged as a hot spot of experimental research. Here, the quantum scattering calculations are conducted to investigate the stereodynamic control in collisions between Be+(2P) and H2 (v = 0, j = 2), which undergo nonadiabatic transitions to the electronic ground state. Stereodynamic preparation is achieved by controlling the initial alignment of the H2 bond axis relative to the scattering frame. For product BeH+ in the reactive process, the differential cross sections (DCSs) are significantly enhanced in the forward and sideways hemispheres when the alignment angle ß is 60°. For the product H2 in the quenching channel, the ß = 0° preparation can result in a more than one-fold increase in the DCS at a polar scattering angle of 0°. Furthermore, varying the alignment angle ß also has noteworthy effects on the rotational-state distributions of BeH+ products. Specifically, ß = 0° preparation can induce the disappearance of the bimodal distribution of rotational states at a collision energy of 0.05 eV.

Unveiling Quantum Interference in the D+ + H2 Nonadiabatic Reaction Dynamics at Low Collision Energies.

Fully converged nonadiabatic dynamics calculations of the D+ + H2 → H+ + HD reaction are performed at low temperatures using the time-dependent wave packet approach based on a set of precise 3 × 3 diabatic potential energy surfaces (PESs) ( Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 7735-7747, DOI: 10.1039/D0CP04100A). The D+ + H2 reaction is mediated by a dense manifold of resonances associated with the deep potential well on the ground-state PES. The calculated results show that the nonadiabatic coupling can affect the resonance positions, deviating from the expectation based solely on adiabatic considerations. Furthermore, significant forward-backward asymmetry in total differential cross sections (DCSs) is revealed, which is markedly influenced by nonadiabatic effects. The nonadiabatic effects not only affect the contribution of partial waves in the reaction but also make the interference patterns in the DCSs change significantly.

Identification of 14 glutathione S-transferase genes from Lasioderma serricorne and characterization of LsGSTe1 involved in lambda-cyhalothrin detoxification.

In insects, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) play a pivotal role in the detoxification of a wide range of pesticides. The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, is an economically important pest insect of stored products. Recently, pyrethroid insecticides have been used to control this pest. However, little is known concerning the responses and functions of GSTs in L. serricorne under pyrethroid exposure. In this study, transcriptome sequencing was performed on L. serricorne, and a total of 14 GSTs were identified by retrieving the unigene dataset. Of these, 13 predicted GSTs fell into six cytosolic classes, namely, delta, epsilon, omega, sigma, theta, and zeta, and one was assigned to an "unclassified" group. The GST genes were differentially expressed in various larval tissues and at different developmental stages. Exposure to the pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) caused oxidative stress in L. serricorne larvae and led to significantly elevated expression levels of six genes, among which LsGSTe1 was the most upregulated. Recombinant LsGSTE1 protein displayed LCT-metabolizing activity. Furthermore, LsGSTE1 protects cells against oxidative stress. Moreover, knockdown of LsGSTe1 by RNA interference dramatically increased the susceptibility of L. serricorne larvae to LCT treatment. The results from this study provide sequence resources and expression data for GST genes in L. serricorne. Our findings indicate that LsGSTE1 plays a dual role in LCT detoxification by metabolizing the pesticide and by preventing LCT-induced oxidative stress. Thus, the LsGSTe1 gene could be used as a potential target for sustainable management of the cigarette beetle.

Vision Transformers (ViT) for Blanket-Penetrating Sleep Posture Recognition Using a Triple Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Radar System.

Sleep posture has a crucial impact on the incidence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Therefore, the surveillance and recognition of sleep postures could facilitate the assessment of OSA. The existing contact-based systems might interfere with sleeping, while camera-based systems introduce privacy concerns. Radar-based systems might overcome these challenges, especially when individuals are covered with blankets. The aim of this research is to develop a nonobstructive multiple ultra-wideband radar sleep posture recognition system based on machine learning models. We evaluated three single-radar configurations (top, side, and head), three dual-radar configurations (top + side, top + head, and side + head), and one tri-radar configuration (top + side + head), in addition to machine learning models, including CNN-based networks (ResNet50, DenseNet121, and EfficientNetV2) and vision transformer-based networks (traditional vision transformer and Swin Transformer V2). Thirty participants (n = 30) were invited to perform four recumbent postures (supine, left side-lying, right side-lying, and prone). Data from eighteen participants were randomly chosen for model training, another six participants' data (n = 6) for model validation, and the remaining six participants' data (n = 6) for model testing. The Swin Transformer with side and head radar configuration achieved the highest prediction accuracy (0.808). Future research may consider the application of the synthetic aperture radar technique.

A neural network potential energy surface and quantum dynamics studies for the Ca+(2S) + H2 → CaH+ + H reaction.

Reactive collisions of Ca+ ions with H2 molecules play a crucial role in ultracold chemistry, quantum information and other cutting-edge fields, and have been widely studied experimentally, but the corresponding theoretical studies have not been reported due to the lack of an applicable potential energy surface (PES). Herein, a globally accurate PES of the ground-state CaH2+ is constructed using the permutation invariant polynomial neural network method based on 27 780 ab initio points calculated at the multi-reference configuration interaction level. On the new PES, the quantum time-dependent wave packet calculations are performed to study the dynamics mechanisms of the Ca+(2S) + H2(ν0 = 0, j0 = 0) → CaH+ + H reaction. The calculated results suggest that the reaction follows a direct abstraction process when the collision energy is below 5.0 eV. The dynamics results would have a great reference significance for the experimental research of this reactive system at a finer level, and further dynamics studies, such as the effects of isotope substitution and rovibrational excitations of the reactant molecule, could be carried out on this newly constructed PES.

Time-dependent wave packet dynamics study of the resonances in the H + LiH+(v = 0, j = 0) → Li+ + H2 reaction at low collision energies.

The depletion process of LiH+ by H collision plays an important role in the evolution of the early universe and astrophysical processes, including the eventual charge-states, abundances of atomic and molecular species and ensuing astrochemistry. Here, a quantum dynamics study on the H + LiH+(v = 0, j = 0) → Li+ + H2 reaction is performed at the low collision energy range from 0.1 meV to 10 meV using the time-dependent wave packet method. A Feshbach resonance peak is observed near 0.8 meV collision energy on the total reaction probability curves. This resonance originates from the coupling with the v = 0, j = 1 energy level of the reactant LiH+, and it is dominated by the contributions of J = 0-4 partial waves. Another partial wave resonance is also found on the total integral cross section at 1.2 meV, which is closely connected to the opening of the J = 7 partial wave. The opening of the J = 7 partial wave generates a notable forward scattering peak, and the Feshbach resonance can promote both the forward and backward scatterings. Moreover, the total and product vibrational state-resolved rate coefficients for the temperature range of 1-100 K are also reported.

Electronically Nonadiabatic Effects on the Quantum Dynamics of the Ha + BeHb+ → Be+ + HaHb; Hb + BeHa+ Reactions.

Nonadiabatic effects are ubiquitous and play an important role in many chemical processes. Here, the adiabatic and nonadiabatic quantum scattering calculations of the H + BeH+ reaction are performed using the time-dependent wave packet method based on an accurate diabatic potential energy matrix that includes the lowest two electronic states and their couplings. The resulting integral cross sections reveal that the nonadiabatic effect significantly inhibits the reactivity of the BeH+-depletion channel but enhances that of the H-exchange channel. The vibrational excitation is suppressed, but the translational excitation is promoted for the H2 product in the BeH+-depletion channel when the nonadiabatic coupling is included. However, the nonadiabatic coupling has a mild effect on the H-exchange product-state distribution. When the nonadiabatic effect is considered, the differential cross sections of the H2 product become less polarized because of the formation of an excited-state complex, whereas the corresponding results of the H-exchange channel only present an increase in the magnitude at the backward region.

A thioredoxin peroxidase protects Pieris rapae from oxidative stress induced by chlorantraniliprole exposure.

Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) is an insecticide widely used to control the small white butterfly (SWB), Pieris rapae. Exposure to CAP can cause oxidative injury in SWB; however, it is unclear if antioxidant enzymes are involved in the defense process. In this study, a thioredoxin peroxidase (PrTPX1) gene was identified from SWB by using a homology search method. The gene encoded a 195 amino-acid PrTPX1 protein. Sequence characteristics and phylogenetic analysis indicated that PrTPX1 was a typical "2-Cys" TPX, and the PrTPX1 gene consisted of four exons and three introns. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the messenger RNA levels of PrTPX1 were highest in third-, fourth- and fifth-instar larval stages and in the larval midgut. Treatment with sublethal doses (LD20 and LD50 ) of CAP for 6, 12, 18, and 24 h resulted in increased H2 O2 concentration in SWB larvae, indicating insecticide-induced oxidative stress. The transcriptional levels of PrTPX1 were significantly enhanced in larvae exposed to CAP. Recombinant PrTPX1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. Enzymatic assay revealed that the protein displayed antioxidant activity and was able to protect against oxidative challenge. These results indicated that PrTPX1 plays an important role in oxidative stress responses and may contribute to the CAP tolerance in SWB.

A heat shock protein protects against oxidative stress induced by lambda-cyhalothrin in the green peach aphid Myzus persicae.

Lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) is a pyrethroid insecticide widely used to control insect pests. Insect exposure to LCT may cause abnormal accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and result in oxidative damage. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) may help protect against oxidative stress. However, little is known about the role of HSPs in response to LCT in the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae. This insect is an important agricultural pest causing severe yield losses in crops. In this study, we characterized a cDNA sequence (MpHsp70) encoding a member of the HSP70 family in M. persicae. MpHsp70 encoded a 623 amino acid protein putatively localized in the cytosol. The highest expression level of MpHsp70 occurred in fourth-instar nymphs. Treatment of M. persicae with LCT resulted in oxidative stress and significantly increased H2O2 and malondialdehyde levels. This led to an elevated transcription level of MpHsp70. Injection of H2O2 into M. persicae also upregulated the MpHsp70 expression level, suggesting that MpHsp70 is responsive to ROS, particularly H2O2, induced by LCT. Recombinant MpHSP70 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. E. coli cells overexpressing MpHSP70 exhibited significant tolerance to H2O2 and the ROS generators, cumene hydroperoxide and paraquat. This indicated that MpHSP70 protects against oxidative stress. Furthermore, knockdown of MpHsp70 by RNA interference resulted in increased susceptibility in apterous adults of M. persicae to LCT. These findings indicate that MpHsp70 plays an important role in defense against LCT-induced oxidative stress and insecticide susceptibility in M. persicae.

Identification and Functional Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes in Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Response to Trans-anethole.

Plant essential oils, with high bioactivity and biodegradability, provide promising alternatives to synthetic pesticides for pest control. Trans-anethole is the major component of essential oil from star anise, Illicium verum Hook. The compound has a strong contact toxicity against the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), which is a major insect pest of many vegetables and crops. However, little information is known about how M. persicae responds to trans-anethole at the molecular level. We conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis of M. persicae in response to a LD50 dose of trans-anethole. A total of 559 differentially expressed genes were detected in the treated individuals, with 318 genes up-regulated, and 241 genes down-regulated. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that these genes were classified into different biological processes and pathways. We also found that genes encoding ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, DnaJ, and cuticle proteins were dramatically up-regulated in response to trans-anethole. To study the function of these genes, we performed RNA interference (RNAi) analysis. Knockdown of an ABC transporter gene (ABCG4) and a DnaJ gene (DnaJC1) resulted in a significantly increased mortality rate in M. persicae following trans-anethole exposure, indicating the involvement of these two genes in the toxicity response to trans-anethole. The findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of M. persicae in coping with plant essential oils.

[Application of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Vascular Endothelial/Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Tissue Regeneration and Repair].

Extracellular vesicles can be released by almost all types of cells and are important mediators of intercellular signal transmssion. Extracellular vesicles regulate the function and activity of recipient cells by delivering biologically active molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids, which is of great significance in tissue repair and regeneration. According to numerous studies, extracellular vesicles derived from endothelial/endothelial progenitor cells can induce cell proliferation and differentiation, inhibit cell apoptosis, and promote angiogenesis, playing an increasingly important role in regenerative medicine. We reported in this review the latest findings on applying extracellular vesicles derived from endothelial/endothelial progenitor cells in tissue regeneration and repair, and discussed the challenges and future development directions of their application in the field of regenerative medicine.

Quantum Dynamics Studies of the Significant Intramolecular Isotope Effects on the Nonadiabatic Be+(2P) + HD → BeH+/BeD+ + D/H Reaction.

Quantum time-dependent wave packet dynamics studies on the nonadiabatic Be+(2P) + HD → BeH+/BeD+ + D/H reaction are performed for the first time employing recently constructed diabatic potential energy surfaces. Strong intramolecular isotope effects and unusual results are presented, which are attributed to the dynamic effects of shallow wells induced by avoided crossing on the diagonal V22d surface. The BeH+ + D and BeD+ + H channels are dominated by high-J and low-J partial waves, respectively. The BeD+/BeH+ branching ratio is larger than 10 at low energy and gradually decreases with increasing collision energy. The BeH+ product is primarily distributed at low vibrational states, whereas there exists an obvious population inversion of vibrational states on the BeD+ product. The results of differential cross sections suggest that the formation of the BeH+ + D channel favors a direct reaction process, while the BeD+ + H channel is mainly generated by the complex-forming mechanism.

Molecular characterization of a catalase gene from the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae).

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), is a serious agricultural pest with a worldwide distribution. Catalase (CAT), which is encoded by the catalase (Cat) gene, is an extremely important antioxidant enzyme that plays a pivotal role in protecting cells against the toxic effects of hydrogen peroxide. The Cat gene has not been characterized in M. persicae; therefore, this study describes the identification of the Cat (MpCat) gene from M. persicae. MpCat contains an open reading frame of 1515 bp and encodes a MpCAT protein consisting of 504 amino-acid residues. MpCAT possesses features typical of other insect catalases, including 7 conserved amino acids involved in binding heme and 15 involved in binding nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. Phylogenetic analysis showed that MpCAT was closely related to orthologs from other aphid species. MpCat consisted of nine exons and eight introns, and the number and insertion sites of introns are consistent with those of Cat genes from Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) and Aphis gossypii Glover. The mRNA transcripts of MpCat were detected at all tested developmental stages, with the highest mRNA level in alate adults. The expression of MpCat was significantly upregulated when M. persicae was exposed to low and high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, Beauveria bassiana, and permethrin. The transcription of MpCat and the activity of catalase were suppressed by RNA interference, and knockdown of MpCat significantly reduced the survival rate in M. persicae under heat stress. The results provide valuable information for further study on the physiological functions of MpCat.

Characterisation of a copper/zinc superoxide dismutase from Pieris rapae and its role in protecting against oxidative stress induced by chlorantraniliprole.

Insecticide exposure typically leads to abnormally high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage in insects. Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are potent antioxidant enzymes for ROS scavenging that are essential to protect insects against insecticide-induced oxidative injury. The small white butterfly, Pieris rapae, is an economically important lepidopteran pest of cruciferous crops, and the anthranilic diamide insecticide chlorantraniliprole is widely used to control this organism. However, whether chlorantraniliprole causes oxidative stress, and whether SODs are involved in ROS scavenging, remains unclear in P. rapae. In this study, an intracellular copper/zinc SOD (designated PrSOD1) gene was identified and characterised in P. rapae. The gene consists of four exons and three introns, and the PrSOD1 protein encoded by the gene has typical highly conserved features of CuZnSODs, including two signature motifs and seven Cu/Zn-interacting residues. Transcription of PrSOD1 was highest in the larval fat body and at the fifth-instar larval stage. Recombinant PrSOD1 protein expressed in Escherichia coli displayed antioxidant activity and high thermal and pH stability, confirming that PrSOD1 encodes a functional enzyme. Exposure to three sublethal doses of chlorantraniliprole for 6, 12 or 24 h resulted in significantly increased malondialdehyde concentration in P. rapae larvae, indicating insecticide-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, both PrSOD1 transcription levels and CuZnSOD activity were quickly (6 and 12 h, respectively) upregulated in larvae subjected to chlorantraniliprole, strongly suggesting that PrSOD1 plays an important role in protecting against oxidative damage and possibly chlorantraniliprole tolerance in P. rapae.

Characterization of the active fragments of Spodoptera litura Lebocin-1.

Insects can produce various antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) upon immune stimulation. One class of AMPs are characterized by their high proline content in certain fragments. They are generally called proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs). We previously reported the characterization of Spodoptera litura lebocin-1 (SlLeb-1), a PrAMP proprotein. Preliminary studies with synthetic polypeptides showed that among the four deductive active fragments, the C-terminal fragment SlLeb-1 (124-158) showed strong antibacterial activities. Here, we further characterized the antibacterial and antifungal activities of 124-158 and its four subfragments: 124-155, 124-149, 127-158, and 135-158. Only 124-158 and 127-158 could agglutinate bacteria, while 124-158 and four subfragments all could agglutinate Beauveria bassiana spores. Confocal microscopy showed that fluorescent peptides were located on the microbial surface. Fragment 135-158 lost activity completely against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and partially against Bacillus subtilis. Only 124-149 showed low activity against Serratia marcescens. Negative staining, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy of 124-158 treated bacteria showed different morphologies. Flow cytometry analysis of S. aureus showed that 124-158 and four subfragments changed bacterial subpopulations and caused an increase of DNA content. These results indicate that active fragments of SlLeb-1 may have diverse antimicrobial effects against different microbes. This study may provide an insight into the development of novel antimicrobial agents.

Identification and Expression Profiles of 14 Odorant-Binding Protein Genes From Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).

The small white butterfly, Pieris rapae (L.), is an important insect pest of Brassica crops. This species utilize olfactory cues to find their hosts and mates. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the olfactory perception in this species remains unclear. Here, we identified 14 odorant-binding proteins (OBP) genes-essential for insect olfaction-in P. rapae by exploring a previously published transcriptome dataset. Proteins encoded by all of these genes contain N-terminal signal peptides and six positionally conserved cysteine residues, which are characteristic of insect OBPs. These OBPs displayed high amino acid identity with their respective orthologs in other lepidopterans, and several conserved motifs were identified within these OBPs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these OBPs were well segregated from each other and clustered into different branches. PrapOBP1 and PrapOBP2 were clustered into the 'general odorant-binding protein' clade, and PrapOBP3 and PrapOBP4 fall into the 'pheromone-binding protein' clade. The 14 OBP genes were located on seven genomic scaffolds. Of these, PrapOBP1, 2, 3, and 4 were located on scaffold332, whereas PrapOBP5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were located on scaffold116. Ten of the 14 genes had antenna-biased expression. Of these, PrapOBP1, 2, 4, and 13 were enriched in male antennae, whereas PrapOBP7 and PrapOBP10 were female-biased. Our findings suggest that these OBPs may be involved in olfactory communication. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the identification and characterization of OBPs in P. rapae, and our findings provide a solid foundation for studying the functions of these genes.

LINC00152 promotes the proliferation of gastric cancer cells by regulating B-cell lymphoma-2.

LINC00152 has been considered to be associated with the tumorigenesis and the occurrence of gastric cancer; however, the mechanism of LINC00152 has yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, the expression levels of LINC00152 in tissues, serum, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with gastric cancer were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The functions of LINC00152 with respect to the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasive abilities of the gastric cancer cells were evaluated by cell proliferation analysis, flow cytometry, cell scratch wound assay, and transwell migration experiments. A mouse xenotransplant model of gastric tumors was established to detect the role of LINC00152 in vivo, and the expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family proteins were investigated by Western blot analysis. The results revealed that LINC00152 was overexpressed in tissues, serum, and PBMCs of patients with gastric cancer. Moreover, LINC00152 could promote the migration and invasive abilities and suppress the apoptosis, of gastric cancer cells through regulating the Bcl-2 protein family. LINC00152 could bind with Bcl-2 directly to induce the activation of cell cycle signaling, and this may be a potential target for the therapy of gastric cancer in the future.

Association between dietary protein intake and prostate cancer risk: evidence from a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many studies were conducted to explore the relationship between dietary protein intake and risk of prostate cancer, obtaining inconsistent results. Therefore, this study aims to comprehensively explore the predicted role of dietary protein intake for risk of prostate cancer. METHODS: Databases of Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan Fang Med Online were searched up to August 30, 2017. Eligible studies were included based on our definite inclusion criteria. Summarized relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled with a random effects model. Sensitive analysis and publication bias were performed. RESULTS: At the end, a total of 12 articles comprising 13,483 prostate cancer cases and 286,245 participants were included. The summary RR and 95%CI of the highest protein intake compared to those with the lowest protein intake on prostate cancer risk were 0.993 (95%CI = 0.930-1.061), with no between-study heterogeneity found (I2 = 0.0%, P = 0.656). Moreover, the association was not significant on prostate cancer risk with animal protein intake [RR = 1.001, 95%CI = 0.917-1.092] or vegetable protein intake [RR = 0.986, 95%CI = 0.904-1.076]. The results were not changed when we conducted subgroup analysis by study design, cancer type, or geographic locations. We did not detect any publication bias using Egger's test (P = 0.296) and funnel plot. CONCLUSION: Our study concluded that protein intake may be not associated on prostate cancer.

Safety and efficacy of nivolumab in the treatment of cancers: A meta-analysis of 27 prospective clinical trials.

Immune checkpoint inhibition therapy has benefited people and shown powerful anti-tumor activity during the past several years. Nivolumab, a fully human IgG4 monoclonal antibody against PD-1, is a widely studied immune checkpoint inhibitor for the treatment of cancers. To assess the safety and efficacy of nivolumab, 27 clinical trials on nivolumab were analyzed. Results showed that the summary risks of all grade adverse effects (AEs) and grade ≥3 AEs were 0.65 and 0.12. The rate of nivolumab-related death was 0.25%. The most common any grade AEs were fatigue (25.1%), rush (13.0%), pruritus (12.5%), diarrhea (12.1%), nausea (11.8%) and asthenia (10.4%). The most common grade ≥3 AEs were hypophosphatemia (only 2.3%) and lymphopenia (only 2.1%). The pooled objective response rate (ORR), 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate and 1-year overall survival (OS) rate were 0.26, 0.40 and 0.52, respectively. The odds ratio of ORR between PD-L1 positive and negative was 2.34 (95% CI 1.77-3.10, p < 0.0001). The odds ratios of ORR, 6-month PFS rate and 1-year OS rate between nivolumab and chemotherapeutics were 2.77 (95% CI 1.69-4.56, p < 0.0001), 1.97 (95% CI 1.02-3.81, p = 0.04) and 1.87 (95% CI 1.46-2.40, p <0.0001), respectively. In conclusion, nivolumab has durable outcomes with tolerable AEs and drug-related deaths in cancer patients. Nivolumab monotherapy has better treatment response compared with chemotherapy, whereas chemotherapeutics have significantly higher risk of adverse effects than nivolumab.

Prognostic significance of tumor-associated macrophages in ovarian cancer: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in tumor microenvironment remains controversial due to the two different polarized subsets of TAMs. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the correlation between subpopulations of TAMs and clinical outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer. METHODS: A comprehensive search in PUBMED/Medline and EMBASE databases was performed. The association between TAMs and patient prognosis of ovarian cancer was estimated with hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) using a random-effect model. Additionally, sensitivity analysis and Begg's test were conducted. RESULTS: Nine studies including 794 patients were enrolled in the meta-analysis. The results showed that higher M1/M2 ratio in tumor tissues was associated with a favorable overall survival (OS) (HR=0.449, 95% CI=0.283-0.712, P=0.001). Elevated intra-islet M1/M2 TAMs ratio showed a positive correlation for OS (HR=0.510, 95% CI=0.264-0.986, P=0.045). No significant relation was observed between OS and CD68+ TAMs (HR=0.99, 95% CI=0.88-1.11, P=0.859), CD163+ TAMs (HR=1.04, 95% CI=0.92-1.16, P=0.544) or CD163+/CD68+ TAMs ratio (HR=1.628, 95% CI=0.529-5.008, P=0.395). Worse progression-free survival (PFS) was associated with high density of CD163+ TAMs (HR=2.157, 95% CI=1.406-3.312, P=0.000) and higher ratio of CD163+/CD68+ TAMs (HR=3.223, 95% CI=1.805-5.755, P=0.000). Elevated M1/M2 TAMs ratio predicted better PFS of ovarian cancer (HR=0.490, 95% CI=0.270-0.890, P=0.019). Furthermore, high density of CD163+ and CD68+ TAMs was observed in ovarian cancer with advanced TNM stage. CONCLUSION: In our study, it was revealed that CD163+ TAMs infiltration was associated with poor prognosis of ovarian cancer and high M1/M2 macrophages ratio in tumor tissues predicted better prognosis.